


The New Recruit

by kara-danvers-lena-luthor (Mesk)



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: AgentCorp, DEO Agent Lena Luthor, F/F, Luvers (alex and lena), Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-04-28 02:23:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14439444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mesk/pseuds/kara-danvers-lena-luthor
Summary: I was inspired by the promo photos of episode 3x17, so have an AU where Lena is recruited by the DEO and has to train under Alex. Slow-burn AgentCorp.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this first chapter without a beta, so please forgive any spelling errors, and I hope you enjoy it.

The invitation had come as a surprise to Lena. She couldn't have expected to be trusted this much, not by the government, and much less by Supergirl, but there Lena was, standing alongside other agents awaiting for their commanding officer to arrive in the training room. 

The moment the door swung open, Lena had to contain her smile.  _Of course Alex is the one who's_ _gonna_ _train us,_ she thought, watching as her superior officer walked to the middle of the room. 

"My name is Alex Danvers, I’m your commanding officer.” She said, eyeing the agents. “You've worked hard, you went through all the basic training with success, and for that, I believe congratulations are in order. But don't kid yourselves, if this was happening three years ago, you'd be contained to this facility for another ten years before you were allowed out in the field. However, a lot has changed in the past three years and our enemies do not wait for our cadets to be trained to the best of their abilities before they attack us." Alex's voice was firm, it demanded attention, and it made Lena smile, because she knew what it was like to talk like that; to speak with every ounce of confidence you have and captivate an entire room.  

"I will train you in combat harder than anyone has trained you, and all I expect in return is dedication," Alex continued. "I want you to form a circle," she said, being met with somewhat stunned and confused looks. "Now!"  

The cadets shuffled around as quickly as they could to follow the order, and once they were done, Alex gave them a nod of approval. "Now, I want you to look at the faces of everyone in this circle." Even though they were confused, the new agents followed the command, and Alex continued, "these are the people you'll fight side by side. These are the people who you'll sacrifice your lives to defend; these are the people who will protect you when you're down. If there's a single person in this room who cannot trust their fellow agents fully, I suggest you leave immediately." 

As Alex had anticipated, all eyes glanced over at Lena who she noticed tried her hardest to pretend she didn't care. "Is there anything you'd like to say to me, recruits?" Alex deliberately kept her voice amiable, as if she was truly giving them a chance to complain about Lena. 

Once more, the new recruits looked around, silently asking each other who would be brave enough to speak up. Finally, a tall, blonde man stepped forward; arms behind his back, shoulders squared, eyes trained straight ahead. "Ma'am," he waited for Alex to give him a nod before proceeding, "I believe my colleagues and I are... _concerned_  to have a Luthor among us." 

"Does he speak for everyone?" Alex asked, walking around the circle. No one said yes or no, but she knew they were worried, so once she came across Lena, Alex stopped and said, "agent Luthor, step forward." 

Lena clenched her jaw, thinking she would be thrown out after a year of hard work, but still, she obeyed her order coming to a halt right in front of Alex.  

"Agent Luthor, is your first name Alexander?" Alex asked, and she started pacing back and forth in front of Lena. 

"No, ma'am!" Lena replied firmly as she fought off a smirk; she could see what Alex was doing, and she truly appreciated it. 

"Is your first name Lillian?" Alex asked. 

"No, ma'am!" 

"What is your first name, agent Luthor??" 

"Lena, ma'am!" 

"Very well, agent. Back to your place," Alex instructed. Once Lena obeyed, Alex calmly walked back to the blonde recruit, and stood uncomfortably close to his face. "What's your name, agent?" Alex asked coolly. 

The man swallowed hard; even though Alex was barely tall enough to reach his chest, he had heard stories about agent Danvers… and he knew he had messed up. "J-Jacob Morris, ma'am." 

"Your unit is only as strong as its weakest link, agent." Alex growled the words lowly. "And I don't mean agent Luthor. Now, back to your place." 

Walking back to the middle of the circle, Alex addressed all new agents, "you're here to protect the ones you love, to protect your city, to protect this country, and this world. I don't care who sits in the Oval Office, here at the DEO we protect the innocent whoever they may be, and we do it together, as one. Do I make myself clear?" 

In unison, all the recruits replied loudly, "yes, ma'am!" 

"Good. Now, pair up and spar. I need to see what I'll be working with." Alex said, and she started walking around the room observing them, stopping occasionally to instruct them on how to be more effective. 

By the time the training session was done, most of the new recruits were laying on the floor trying to catch their breath; Alex really hadn't been joking when she said she would make them work harder than anyone else before her. "Off to the showers," she said to get their attention. "Make sure to eat before you go off to tactical training." 

Alex watched as the recruits started to walk out of the room, and she said, "agent Luthor, a moment, please." 

Lena just wanted to go take her shower (and maybe put some ice on her cheek where her sparring partner had landed a punch), the last thing she wanted was for the other agents to think she was getting preferential treatment from the boss. But nonetheless, she knew she didn't have a say on it. 

"How are you holding up?" Alex asked once the room was theirs. 

Lena shrugged, "it's nothing I didn't have to deal with at boot camp," she said honestly. 

"Good," Alex nodded. "There's no hazing or any BS like that here, but if they try anything against you--" Lena fully expected Alex to tell her to report any incident, or come to her, and that's why she was so pleasantly surprised when Alex finished her sentence by saying, "make them regret it. I know the last thing you want is to be treated like you’re better than they are… you know, like you've been treated your entire life, I'd imagine it." There was a smirk on Alex's lips, and Lena knew she was being teased. "So make sure they know you're not one to be messed with, and that you're not going to come crying to us for anything." 

That being said, Alex's features turned serious once more, but she said in her usual friendly voice, "you were a CEO, Lena, and there's no doubt you were born for leadership. There will come a time – be it out in the field, or even in our labs; wherever you choose to take your career here – it will come a moment when you'll need to step up and call the shots for the sake of your unit." 

Lena understood what Alex was saying, and she appreciated her saying so. "Thank you, agent Danvers," and daring to push her luck, Lena smirked and said, "but don't worry, I'm not one to pretend to be meek just to stroke other people's egos." 

Alex snorted out a laugh, and shook her head, "that's the Lena I know." Nodding toward the door, they started walking, and Alex said, "we're meeting at the pub tonight, wanna join?" 

Lena smiled at the invitation, "sure." 

"Alright, we'll be there at eight." Alex said. Once they were out of the training room, she said, "see you around, recruit." 

"See you around, C.O." 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to my beta @lena-lipbite-luthor on tumblr <3
> 
> Thank SO MUCH for the reviews!!! You guys are the absolute best!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> Also, I'm trying to keep the chapters on the short side just so I can write more often ^^
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy it.

There were a lot of things Lena had to give up when she decided to become a DEO agent. The first and biggest change was putting L-Corp in a blind trust (with Lena's devoted and brilliant former-CFO, Samantha Arias as the acting trustee); during boot camp she had to live in the barracks, wearing only her uniform during the day and  _very_  casual clothes on the rare occasions she ventured going out for a drink with the other recruits.  

On a personal level, the shift in her wardrobe was the most jarring change for Lena; her tailored dresses, high heels, expensive makeup, and jewelry were her suit of armor. They helped her remain in control; they helped her maintain the persona of Lena Luthor the CEO. So, when there was no more need to hide behind that mask, Lena had to ask herself,  _who am I? How do I present myself? How do I want the world to see me now?_  

The quality of her clothes never changed – she still had money, after all – but they were definitely different. Pencil skirts and dresses gave way to pants and jackets; low-cut tops were replaced by crewnecks and button-up shirts; stilettos were put away for special occasions, with Lena opting for lower and sturdier chunky heels (that would actually allow her to run if need be). Her collection of earrings only saw any action when she went out with her friends. Otherwise, Lena didn't wear any (seeing as how they could hurt her during sparring sessions and tactical training). The same went for her makeup, her beloved red and dark lipsticks were reserved for nights out; during the day, Lena would only wear nude shades. 

So when eight P.M. came about, Lena Luthor walked into the alien pub wearing her favorite red lipstick and her favorite pair of earrings (the small, golden, triangle ones). She opted for chunky heels that probably cost almost as much as the pub itself, black pants, a simple white T-shirt, and a dark-green jacket with the sleeves rolled up. Her hair was down, framing her face with loose curls.

"Daaaaaamn, girl," Winn teased as soon as he saw her, "I'd forgotten how you clean up nicely!" 

Lena rolled her eyes playfully at him, and gently pushed on his shoulder, saying, "shush, and scoot over." 

Winn did as he was told, but he turned to Alex and said waving his beer bottle at her, "listen, I think she's spending too much time with you because she used to be much nicer." 

Kara and James snorted at that, while Alex frowned. "What's  _that_  supposed to mean???" She asked. 

"It's called intimacy, Schott," Lena smirked, "now that we're friends, I can pick on you." 

"Yeah, yeah..." Winn waved her off. "Kinda regret that," he said jokingly. 

"Pffft, and who would you geek out to about your favorite video games?" Lena countered, raising a perfect eyebrow at him. 

Winn was quiet for a moment, and then threw an arm around Lena's shoulders, saying, "I'm so glad you're my friend! And not a lame one like these other three!!"  

That earned him three "hey's" in perfect unison, but there weren't any real hard feelings, and Lena caught herself thinking how lucky she is to have these people as her friends. 

"So," James said to catch everyone's attention, "should we order some stronger drinks now that we're all here??" 

"I'm up for it," Kara replied, chirpy as always. 

"I can't," Lena sighed quite dramatically, "you see, my new C.O. is a hardass, and I can't risk getting drunk, or she'll destroy me tomorrow morning during our training session." 

Winn, Kara, and James snickered under their breath, and they waited almost eagerly to see what Alex would say in response. 

The two women eyed each other carefully, studying one another as mirroring smirks tugged at their lips. 

"You bet your ass she will kick your ass if she thinks you're hung over," Alex replied and tried to contain her smile. 

"So I better keep myself in check," Lena shrugged, but she, too, was smiling. "I'll just have a beer." 

"Beer???" Kara asked incredulously. " _You_...drinking....beer?" 

Lena's cheeks turned a light shade of pink, but all she said was, "Yeah, I mean, it's the drink with the lowest percentage of alcohol in it..." 

If it weren't for the blush, Alex would have bought the excuse, but she saw right through Lena. "Are you sure that's all there is to it, Luthor??" 

Lena narrowed her eyes and raised her eyebrow, "Does it have to be something more than that?" 

Alex took a sip of her beer, and shrugged, "No... but--" she smirked once more, "I believe there is something else behind it, and I think you're embarrassed to say what it is. Otherwise, you wouldn't be blushing." 

The other three people in the booth were frowning in confusion, and they turned their eyes to Lena expecting to get a response. 

"I think you're reading too much into things, Danvers." Lena challenged.  

The way she said the words made Alex think Lena wouldn't be angry if she guessed it, but just to be sure, she decided to check, "If I guess it right, will you admit to it?" 

Lena weighed the pros and cons in her head, and ultimately decided her friends wouldn't judge her – well, they might tease her mercilessly, but they wouldn't love her any less for it. So she simply shrugged again and nodded her agreement to Alex. 

Grinning, Alex explained, "I think miss fancy-pants doesn't think they will have any wine that is good enough to meet her standards." She paused for a second, and asked, "Am I right?" 

For Kara, Winn, and James it was like watching a tennis match, and now it was time for Lena to respond. 

She took her sweet time, but after what felt like an eternity to their audience, Lena finally conceded, "You're right." 

"Ah-ha! I knew it!" Alex laughed with the others. "You need to work on your poker face, Luthor." 

"Oh, believe me, if we were playing poker, you'd be losing." Lena rebutted. 

"Is that a challenge?" Alex asked amusedly. 

"Only if you want to lose money to me, Danvers," Lena smirked. 

But before the competitiveness could get out of hand, Kara decided to intervene. "Well, Lena, you're right, there's not a single brand of wine you'd enjoy here, but they do have decent beers. How about we order our drinks now, hm?" Winn and James quickly agreed with Kara, and the two men offered to buy the first round. 

With good company and good conversation, time was flying by. They weren't tipsy, not per se, but they were happy, and they were having a good time, so they chatted about anything and everything; from setting a date for the next game-night, to how massively the new president was screwing up the country. When the topic of their conversation circled back around to Lena's training at the DEO, James said playfully, "You're the safest and most well-protected dude in the city, Winn. You've got all of us watching your back." 

"Hey, I'll drink to that!" Winn laughed, and they all joined in. 

But then, without even thinking twice about it, Lena said, "Wait, we also protect Kara." For reasons Lena couldn't understand, suddenly the laughter sounded fake, and Kara was fidgeting in her seat. She watched as her friend shared a glance with Alex, who nodded ever so discreetly. 

"Um, Lena?" Kara said, sounding almost shy. "C-Can I talk to you outside for a bit?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> If you'd like, feel free to send me a message on tumblr (@kara-danvers-lena-luthor).
> 
> Please, if you liked the chapter, spare a moment to write a review, even a smiley face or writing "leaving extra kudos" will be greatly appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to my beta @lena-lipbite-luthor on tumblr <3
> 
> Guyyyyyssss!!!! Thank you so much for all the reviews!! You are wonderful!!!
> 
> I really hope you enjoy this chapter x.x

Lena followed Kara out onto the alley. With every step, her heart seemed to beat faster, and her mind spiraled further down, going to dark places quickly;  _Did I do anything to offend Kara? Is my being a DEO agent putting Kara in too much danger? Is Kara going to say we can't be friends anymore?_  

Lena had been so lost in her thoughts, that she almost ran into Kara who had stopped walking once they were a few feet away from the pub's entrance. 

"I-I..." Kara started, fidgeting on her feet without being able to look Lena in the eye. 

Her friend's demeanor scared Lena even more, and she couldn't contain herself any longer. "D-Did I do something?" Lena asked, motioning as if she was thinking of stepping closer to Kara, but deciding to stay away at the last moment. 

Mentally cursing herself in Kryptonian, Kara rushed to Lena and gently took her hands. "No, no, no. You've been nothing but a great friend to me, Lena. Y-You're my best friend... a-and that's why it's so hard for me to tell you this." 

Lena could breathe easier knowing she hadn't done anything wrong, but the fact that Kara was struggling so much to talk to her made Lena even more worried. "Whatever it is--" she said, gently squeezing Kara's hands, "you can tell me." 

Somehow, Lena's kindness only made Kara feel worse. "I..." she sighed, and tried again, "I don't know why this is so hard for me... I-I think I've just been selfish this entire time." Kara couldn't handle the proximity with Lena anymore and, pulling her hands away, she started pacing back and forth. 

 Kara..." Lena frowned, "you're worrying me." 

Fixing her glasses, Kara stopped pacing and looked back at Lena. "Before I say anything... I just want you to know that I kept this from you not because I don't trust you because you know I trust you with my life." She spoke with such conviction that Lena could only nod in response. "I-I've had a lot of time to think about it, and I know at the beginning I kept it from you because I didn't want to put you in danger. But after a while, I just had to come to terms with the fact that was just an excuse I was telling myself..." 

"Okay..." Lena said, wanting Kara to continue talking. 

"I... I ended up realizing that you were the only important person in my life who didn't know  _it_ , and that--" Kara sighed, and a sad little smile tugged at her lips as she shook her head. " _That_  was precious to me." 

Stepping closer to her friend, Lena said lovingly, "If you want to keep this secret, whatever it is, a while longer, it's okay. You don't have to tell me, Kara. You don't owe me any explanations." 

Lena's words hit Kara hard, and before either of them knew what was happening, a sob escaped Kara's lips, and the hero pulled Lena into a tight embrace. "Th-Thank you..." Kara whispered brokenly into Lena's hair. 

While her tears continued to fall, Kara took a moment to think about whether she should carry on or if she wanted to reveal her secret another time. But at the end of the day, Kara knew postponing it would only make things harder for her, and enough was enough. 

Inhaling deeply to steel her resolve, Kara pulled back and slowly took her glasses off. "The first time I interviewed you," she started, looking down at her hands as she fidgeted with her glasses, "I didn't go to L-Corp by bus, I actually flew there... A-And when you were attacked in your office, you called me, and I could hear something bad was happening, so I flew there as fast I could. I was just in time to catch you after you fell off the balcony..." Kara looked up cautiously, wanting to see if what she was saying was registering with Lena. 

She had looked up just in time to see Lena's facial expression changing as the truth dawned on her; eyes widened slightly, her mouth opened and closed a couple of times until she could finally muster, "Y-You mean..." To which Kara nodded and started unbuttoning her shirt, but Lena stopped her by placing a gentle hand on top of Kara's. "I don't need to see it to believe it," she said softly. 

It was all very emotional for Kara, and with tears welling up in her eyes again, she nodded once more and let her hands drop to her sides. "Are you... Are you mad?" She asked, biting the inside of her cheek nervously. 

"Mad?" Lena shook her head. "No, not mad, just--" she sighed and lifted her head up to look at the sky as she tried to process her feelings. "I'm surprised," she chuckled at the absurdity of that, "and I'm kinda disappointed in myself for not figuring it out on my own... but I'm not mad, Kara," Lena reassured, looking back down at her friend.  

This moment had been building up for so long in Kara's imagination, that now that it was finally dealt with, she felt as if there was a huge weight off her shoulders, and with an overwhelming feeling of relief, tears started trickling down Kara's cheeks once more. "W-Why aren't you angry at me? Y-You hate when people lie to you..." Kara pressed on, wanting to make sure there were absolutely no unsolved issues between them. 

Lena walked over to the wall opposite to where Kara was standing, and she leaned back on it, crossing her arms over her chest. "That part does sting a little," Lena confessed. "I mean, at some point I thought I only had two friends in this city, but as it turned out, they were the same person." She chuckled again at herself, and let her arms fall to her sides. "But I'm not about to be the pot calling the kettle black, you know? I've lied to you before, I've kept things from you, and each time I did so, I thought I was doing what was best." Lena shrugged with one shoulder then walked back to Kara. "I do feel a little silly for not having seen it before, and I do feel like it's going to take me a minute to adjust to the idea of the two of you being one and the same. But--" Lena tilted her head to the side, and gave Kara the most disarming smile Kara had ever seen. "But you, Kara Danvers, continue to be my hero; Supergirl is just..." Lena smirked, "...just a  _very_  fortunate bonus." 

Chuckling through her tears, Kara couldn't believe how lucky she was, and she was about to say so when Lena spoke again. "And hey, nothing has to change between us, you know? If you'd prefer me to see you as Kara Danvers, that's how I'll see you."  

That's when Kara pulled Lena into another hug, "I'm so lucky you're my friend, Lena." She mumbled with her face burrowed on Lena's neck. 

"I'm the lucky one," Lena affirmed, as she gently rubbed soothing circles on Kara's back. "Thank you for telling me." 

"Of course," Kara said, pulling back. "I just wish I had done it sooner." 

Lena was about to dismiss the idea when the door to the pub opened and Alex poked her head out. "Sorry, am I interrupting? The guys were starting to get antsy, but were too chicken to come check on you themselves." 

Kara and Lena snorted at that and shook their heads. "You're not interrupting anything, Alex," Lena replied, and then looked at Kara, "Everything is good here." 

Noticing her sister's smile, Alex walked closer to the two women and grinned. "I'm glad to hear that," she said sincerely. "How about we go back inside, then?" 

"You two go ahead," Lena said to Kara's disappointment. "It's getting late, and I already had my drink. I have to be at the DEO early tomorrow," she explained.

"I should actually go too," Alex agreed. "I have a bunch of terrible rookies to train first thing in the morning..." She said playfully. 

"Hey, Lena, if you want me to teach you how to beat Alex in hand-to-hand combat, just let me know," Kara said, wanting to tease her sister. 

"I think I'll take you up on that, actually," Lena said, smirking at Alex. 

"Oh, please, who do you think taught her?" Alex shot back, rolling her eyes -- but all in good-nature. 

Kara laughed and gave each of them a hug. "See you tomorrow," she said, starting to make her way back to the pub. 

"Tell the boys I said good night," Lena shouted after Kara, then turn her attention back to Alex. "Did you drive here?" 

Crossing her arms to protect herself from the slightly chilly night air, Alex shook her head. "Whenever we come here, I get an Uber," she explained, shrugging, "I know I'm gonna be drinking, so it's easier that way. Or... you know... Kara flies me." 

Lena chuckled and shook her head, "God, I was so blind..." 

"No, come on," Alex said, gently bumping her shoulder against Lena's. "You had no reason to doubt either of their identities or to think they were the same person. Besides, people usually see what they want to see." 

Lena frowned at that, but as they walked toward the street, she considered Alex's words. "You mean I  _didn't_  want to see they were the same person?" 

"Subconsciously, yeah, maybe," Alex replied, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket to set up her Uber pick up. "I mean, I worked for the DEO for years before I had to come clean to Kara, and she never suspected a thing." She explained, shrugging a bit. 

"I guess you're right..." Lena conceded. "They were both really important to me, and I guess I needed them as much as Kara needed me to believe she and Supergirl were different people." Stopping when they reached the sidewalk, Lena touched Alex's arm to get her attention, "I can give you a ride," she said, motioning with her head toward her parked car.  

Alex was about to say that Lena was right when the offer was made, and she followed Lena's motion to see what car she was talking about. When Alex laid eyes on it, her jaw dropped, and she hurried over to it. "Are you kidding me, Luthor??????????" At Lena's slightly confused stare, Alex barreled on enthusiastically, "It's this year's freaking Mercedes AMG GT C coupe edition!!! Do you have any idea how much they are worth???" 

Lena snorted at that, "Yeah, you know... because I bought it and such," She teased Alex, but she was finding her enthusiasm adorable. "So, I take you're into cars?" 

Not even bothering to acknowledge Lena's little jab, Alex replied, "Yeah, you could say that," As she ran her hand over the roof of the car, Alex said absentmindedly, "I prefer bikes, but I love cars too." 

Smiling at Alex's true appreciation for the vehicle, Lena asked, "Would you like to drive it?" 

Alex's head snapped up, and she turned around so fast she almost got whiplashed. "Would I...? Pfffft!!! Yes!!!!!!!" 

"Very coherent, Danvers," Lena laughed, but she walked closer to Alex and handed her the keys. "Let's go then," Lena grinned. 

Once they were settled inside the car, Alex looked as happy as a child on Christmas morning. She rambled on about how luxurious everything was, and she just started reciting facts about the car to Lena who was actually listening to everything attentively. 

The whole ride over to Alex's was spent like that. Alex was gushing over the car, and Lena listened to her while thinking about how there were probably countless sides to Alex that she didn't know yet, but she found herself intrigued by the woman beside her, wondering what other hidden layers there were to her. 

When they finally parked the car in front of Alex's building, she shut off the engine, and just leaned back on her seat. "Wow..." she breathed out the word almost dreamily, "this car is something else," Alex said, turning her head to look at Lena. 

Lena chuckled and nodded in agreement. "It is, but--" there was a glint in her eyes, and Alex knew whatever Lena was about to say next would be... _interesting_ , since a smirk also appeared on her lips. "But I do have other cars that I prefer better than this one." 

Alex sighed, and shook her head. "What is your life even, Luthor? I mean, how many cars do you even have??" Alex asked teasingly. 

And just to annoy her further, Lena replied, "You know, I'm not really sure. I stopped counting..." 

"You're infuriating!!" Alex laughed, and opened the door; it was getting late, and they needed to sleep sooner rather than later. 

Getting out of the car as well, Lena laughed along with Alex, and said, "But will you continue to think that knowing that I'm more than okay with my friends borrowing my cars?" 

As they met in front of the car – with Lena walking over to the driver's side, and Alex walking the opposite way in the direction of her building – Alex opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, searching what to say to that. "I mean... you're the most amazing, brilliant,  _generous_  woman I've ever met!" Alex ended up saying with a mischievous little smile.  

Lena liked how easily they fell into this light-hearted banter; and differently, from everyone else in her life up to that point, Alex never felt the need to walk on eggshells around her; and she could definitely hold her own, giving as well as she received. "That's what I thought, Danvers," she replied with a smile of her own. 

"Yeah, yeah..." Alex said dismissively, but opened her arms to give Lena a goodbye hug, which the younger woman gladly accepted. "Thanks for the ride," she said, pulling back. 

"No problem," Lena smiled. "See you tomorrow, boss."

Alex snorted, quickly wondering if Lena had ever had a boss before. "See ya. Get some rest; I won't go easy on any of you tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so, so much for all the reviews!!!! You guys are the best!!!

The dry sound of punches being delivered to a punching bag caught Alex's attention as she walked past the DEO's gym on her way out of the building after a long day at work. 

Leaning against the door frame and crossing her arms, Alex stood there for a moment observing Lena's form as the recruit kept on punishing the bag. "Wanna tell me what the bag did to deserve the Luthor wrath?" She asked teasingly. 

Lena had been so lost in her own thoughts she hadn't heard anyone approaching. However, the voice was familiar, and its teasing tone immediately brought a smile to Lena's face. "It was staring at me funny," she replied without looking back at Alex. 

The agent walked further into the room and began circling Lena, watching her more closely as she delivered blow after blow. "Why are you here so late?" Alex asked curiously. 

Lena glanced at her from the corner of her eyes but continued to train. "Are you asking me as my friend or as my C.O.?" 

"Would your answer change?" 

The question gave Lena pause. "Yes," she said after a beat.  

Alex stepped behind the punching bag and held it firmly to help Lena. She thought about the answer she was given, and after a moment, Alex said, "Answer it as my recruit first." 

Clenching her jaw, Lena delivered a powerful punch to the bag. "I want to train more... I want to be better." 

Alex narrowed her eyes knowing there was more to it than Lena was letting on, but for the time being, she decided not to mention anything about it. "When it comes to stance and form, you're the best recruit we have. Not to mention how physically stronger you are now," Alex said instead. 

For a moment, Lena's chest swelled with pride at the praise, but then it hit her, "Wait... only when it comes to stance and form? What about actual fighting?" She asked feeling slightly vexed.

"Uh..." Alex mentally chastised herself;  _I should have known she would pick up on that..._  "Look," she said letting go of the bag to stand beside it. "You  _nail_  tactical training and every other aspect of being a DEO agent. You're by far the smartest person in this organization. So it's no surprise you're able to navigate those fields without a problem, but--" Alex sighed, and gave Lena a sympathetic smile, "But I think some part of you still has trouble letting go when it comes to hand-to-hand combat." 

"Is that a bad thing?" Lena asked with a frown, her ego getting slightly bruised. 

Tilting her head to the side, Alex sighed softly, "Lena..." She took a deep breath, and crossed her arms, "Why don't you tell me why you're really here? This time I'm asking as a friend." 

Lena was struggling to put her thoughts together, Alex could see it by the way she immediately resumed punching the bag. Sighing, Alex walked to the opposite side of the room where their training equipment was stored, and grabbed two strike pads. 

Watching as Alex walked back toward her putting the pads on, Lena asked, "What are you doing?" 

"Well," Alex started, clapping the pads together loudly, making the noise echo in the concrete room. "It's clear that you're having trouble voicing whatever it is you're feeling – I get that." Alex motioned for Lena to meet her in the center of the room, and she got into a fighting stance. "I understand only managing to express those feelings physically, so--" she smirked, "let's see what you've got." 

Lena raised one of her perfect eyebrows, "Didn't you just say I don't let myself go during hand-to-hand training?" 

Without warning, Alex stretched her arm out and booped Lena's forehead with the tip of one of the pads, "That's why I'm not wearing boxing gloves, Luthor. Come on, let's practice some drills; it’ll allow your mind to process what you’re feeling while keeping your body occupied." 

Lena looked  _offended_  at having her forehead poked like that, but in reality, she was thoroughly amused; no one was ever playful like that with her which made Lena even more appreciative of Alex Danvers. “ _Fine_ ,” she said, playfully glaring at Alex; she had never tried working on her feelings through physical exercise before, but Lena thought it was worth the shot, so getting into her fighting stance, she waited for Alex’s instructions. 

"Light on your feet," Alex said, completely ignoring the death glare she was receiving. "Jab, hook, step out, jab, hook, step out. Got it?" With the first sequence of moves given to her, Lena did as she was told and they started their dance. 

The normalcy of training with Alex helped Lena get into the rhythm of it; Alex dictated a new sequence, Lena followed – switch and repeat. Before Lena knew what was going on her entire being was focused on following the instructions given to her, freeing her mind to subconsciously work on sorting out her feelings. 

After what felt like a long time to both women, Alex announced a new sequence and asked, "Are you angry?" 

With her body focused on carrying out the instructions, Lena replied without a second thought, "Yes." 

Alex was pleasantly surprised her plan had actually worked, but she wasn’t going to let that show; instead, she kept pushing Lena with harder combos before asking, "Who are you angry with?" 

"Kara," Lena replied almost immediately, landing a powerful hook. "Myself." Another punch.  "My family." 

"Why are you mad at Kara?" Alex pressed on without wasting any time.

"Because she lied to me for so long...” Lena said, letting her arms fall to her sides. “A-And I know I  _shouldn't_  be upset, I don't  _want_ to be, I don't have the right to be, but--" 

"It still hurts. I know." Alex finished Lena’s sentence to the younger woman’s surprise.

Taking a deep breath, Alex exhaled slowly and let her hands drop before speaking up again, "I had to lie to Kara for years... I know what's like to cause that kind of sadness... You have every right to be upset. You can't control your feelings, Lena, and it's okay if you need time to process everything." 

Lena took off her gloves and unceremoniously sat on the floor. "There's a little voice in the back of my head insisting that if I weren't a Luthor, she would have told me sooner..." 

"Maybe," Alex conceded, sitting next to her. Noticing how Lena’s eyes were welling up with tears, Alex gave her a warm, sympathetic smile and continued, "But I know for a fact that it's  _because_ you're a Luthor that Kara loves and admires you so much." 

Lena seemed shocked by the statement. "You really don't see it, do you?" Alex asked softly, and when Lena shook her head, Alex explained, "You and Kara are very similar; both of you come from families that were basically considered royalty, both are powerful enough to rule this planet, and yet both choose to be a force for good. She admires you, Lena; you give her strength to keep carrying on because she sees you doing it every day." 

At that point, Lena couldn't contain her tears any longer. "B-But my family... they are  _evil_... what if she thinks there's evil in me too?" Lena was aware she sounded almost childish, but that fear was so deeply ingrained in her mind, she couldn’t have voiced it in any other way.

"There's evil in all of us,” Alex replied vehemently. “ _I've_  done things I'll never atone for..." she sighed heavily, making Lena wonder what exactly Alex had done to weigh so heavily on her conscience. "But talk to Kara, ask her about her family,” Alex continued, “In time you'll see that this fear of turning into a bad version of yourselves is just one more thing you two have in common." 

Lena did her best to dry her tears and said trying to make light of the situation, "You know that's not a good thing to have in common with anyone, right?" 

Alex saw right through Lena's attempt. She understood better than most people how uncomfortable it could be to delve into one's own feelings, and she had no intention to push Lena any further than she was willing to go. So Alex playfully rolled her eyes at Lena and bumped her shoulder against hers, saying, "You and Kara are going to be okay, but don't beat yourself up for not 'getting over it' as fast as you think you should. Just--" Alex took a deep breath, and sighed the words, "let yourself heal at your own pace." 

Lena was coming to realize that a lot went unsaid between Alex and her; it seemed the two had a mutual understanding of one another that allowed them to navigate through potentially awkward and tough moments like this with a certain ease. Lena knew Alex understood she didn’t want to talk about her feelings anymore, but Lena also understood that Alex wanted her to know she was there for her, and that really moved Lena – not that she would say that out loud any time soon, mind you. So with her tears dried, Lena smirked at Alex and said playfully, "Who knew you had a soft side, Agent Danvers." 

Understanding the moment was over, Alex fired back, "If you tell anyone, I'll have to kick your ass in front of the squad."

"That's pretty big talk, but you won't be able to defeat me..." Raising her eyebrow, Lena said with the cheesiest smile, "Not when I have  _these_  guns!!!!" And she flexed her arms, showing off her now well-defined muscles. "Hm!?! Look at them!!! The deadliest Luthor guns ever created!!!" 

Alex didn't know what she had been expecting Lena to say, but it certainly wasn't that! "Oh my god, shut uuuuuup!!!!!" Alex exclaimed without being able to contain her laughter. "You giant nerd!!!" 

"You're just jealous, Danvers." Lena scoffed playfully. "Now that I have brains  _and_  brawn, I'm unstoppable!" 

Alex got on her knees and pressed Lena's cheeks together with her strike pads, "Shuuuuuuush!!!" 

"It's okay, Alex," Lena managed to say through her squished cheeks, "I promise to use my powers for good! Won't even try to seduce you or anything." 

"Now look who's talking big!!" Alex snorted, letting go of Lena so she could stand up. 

Getting up as well, Lena continued teasing Alex, "There’s no need to lie, Alex, I know it's hard to resist the Luthor charm..." 

"You're making it pretty easy right now," Alex said, rolling her eyes, making Lena laugh. 

Once her laughter died down, Lena bit her lip and ducked her head for a moment before saying earnestly, "Thank you for taking the time and talking to me, Alex. It-It means a lot..." 

Alex smiled softly at Lena and nodded, "Anytime."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Thank you SO much for all the reviews, you guys are the BEST! 
> 
> * A special thank you to @Gwynia, not only your review made me smile super big, but it also gave me the idea for this chapter.
> 
> * Thank you to my amazing girl, @lena-lipbite-luthor (her URL on tumblr) for being my beta.
> 
> GET READY FOR ANGST Y'ALL! I hope you'll enjoy it.

Blood rushed to Alex’s ears; the sound of her heart beating hard drowned out the hurried steps of agents scrambling to follow the orders J’onn was barking at them. Her vision blurred as she was drawn back into her mind as she tried to come up with a plan of her own. 

“Alex,” the name sounded far and foreign to her; she needed to focus, there was no time to waste. “Alex!!” This time the name was said loudly, accompanied by strong hands clasping her shoulders and shaking her back to reality. 

As Alex's eyes gained focus once more, she saw J’onn standing in front of her. “I forbid you to run after this lead on your own, do you hear me?” His furrowed brows and sad eyes reflected the concern heard in his voice. “You and Kara are like daughters to me, and I  _promise_ you, we will find her, and we'll bring her back." 

She nodded because she had no other choice. But Alex was too much in a stupor to pay any heed to J'onn's words; her sister had been taken away from her, and the desperation taking hold of her mind, making her heart feel like it was in a vice grip was all the motivation Alex needed to take matters into her own hands. 

Giving the excuse she needed to be alone, Alex slipped her way into the DEO armory to collect the weapons she would need to rescue her sister. 

"You don't think J'onn would really let you out of his sights, do you?" Lena's low voice reached Alex's ears, giving her pause for a second before she resumed gathering the weapons. 

"I order you to stand down, agent," Alex said without turning around to look at Lena; she was busy, and she had no time to waste. 

Crossing her arms, Lena replied, "It's been months since our training came to an end, Alex. You're not our commanding officer anymore, you can't tell me what to do." 

"This is  _not_  the time to test me, Lena!" Alex exclaimed, quickly turning around to face her friend. 

And for the first time in Lena's life, she understood why people around the DEO were scared of Alex. The look in those brown eyes had nothing left of their usual warmth; they were harsh and cold, a transformation Lena had only seen happening so suddenly when Reign took over Sam's mind. She should be afraid, she should step aside, but just as Lena had fought to save Sam, just as she had fought to try and save her brother before it was too late, she was going to do the same for Alex. 

She had to think fast;  _If I blow the whistle on her and something happens to Kara, Alex will never forgive me,_  Lena thought,  _but if I let her go alone and something happens to her, I won't forgive myself..._ Squaring her shoulders and tilting her chin up, Lena said firmly, "I won't warn J'onn, but I'm going with you." 

"No you aren't," Alex shot back, turning around once more to continue packing the weapons. 

"It's either that, or I'll sound the bells," Lena said, raising her eyebrow even though Alex couldn't see her. 

"If you stand in my way," Alex said, closing the duffle bag she had stored the weapons in, and she got on Lena's face. "I  _will_  take you down." 

Part of Lena wanted to shrink away, but Alex had trained her for situations just as this one. "You said one of the hardest things that could happen to us as DEO agents would be finding ourselves on opposite sides from our friends and family," she said, looking deeply into Alex's eye, "I'm telling you,  _I'm on your side_ , but if you force me to, I will fight you." Sighing, Lena added softly, "I want to rescue her too, Alex. Please... let me help." 

Alex cursed under her breath;  _I did teach her well, I made sure she could fight as well as I can..._ Alex thought. _I can't waste any time fighting her, and I can't risk doing anything that would catch_ _J'onn's_ _attention..._ "Fuck! Okay, whatever, you can come, but I'm warning you," Alex stepped impossibly closer to Lena, standing mere inches away from her, "when I find the people responsible for hurting my sister, I  _will_  pay them in kind." 

Without flinching, Lena replied stoically, "That's what they deserve." 

Lena's words surprised Alex, but her mind was too focused on her mission, she was too worried about Kara to stop and analyze why Lena would agree so promptly. "Good, let's go," she said leading Lena toward the helipad. As Lena followed behind, she made sure Alex wasn't looking before she discreetly pressed a button on her watch. 

They flew for about an hour in complete silence, and it was only when they landed that Lena asked, "What's the plan?" 

"Winn thinks they are holding Kara in a building twenty minutes north from where we are," Alex began to explain as they got out of the helicopter and geared up. "The building is abandoned, but Winn noticed huge amounts of electricity being used, so they are either holding Kara in there, or they are growing the largest pot farm I've ever heard of..." 

Lena frowned even though she found Alex's words slightly amusing. "What makes you so sure they are using electricity to hold Kara?" 

"The amount of it being used," Alex replied, motioning for Lena to follow her. "Livewire could stun and weaken Kara with her electric whips and lightning blasts." Grinding her teeth, Alex added, "With the right amount of electricity, Kara can be killed..."  

Sharing a look, Lena and Alex seemed to have an entire conversation without uttering a word out loud and seemingly coming to an unspoken agreement, they started walking faster. 

The overcast night skies helped give them coverage to approach the building undetected, and doing a quick scan of the area, Alex and Lena managed to find a blind spot in the surveillance cameras, allowing them to slip inside the building through a broken window at the ground floor without sounding any alarms.  

"Did Winn say what floor they are holding Kara in?" Lena asked, huddling together with Alex as they took in their surroundings. Their eyes had to adjust to almost complete darkness, save for the dim light shimmering into the room through the broken window they had used to gain access to the building. Lena could barely make out the shapes hidden away in the darkness, but from the number of things stacked up in huge piles gathering dust, she could tell the room was a long forgotten storage facility.  

"No," Alex replied, reaching into her duffle bag and pulling out two helmets equipped with night-vision goggles. "We're gonna have to do a sweep, floor by floor. Here," she said, handing one of the helmets to Lena, "We're gonna need them." 

"Alex!" Lena hissed lowly, " _This_ is your plan??? This building has, what, five stories? What if we run into more bad guys than we can take???" 

Alex narrowed her eyes at Lena and pointed at the only window in the room, "Feel free to leave now if you're scared." 

"Being scared keeps you alive, Danvers!" Lena fired back, groaning in frustration.  

Alex pushed the helmet against Lena's stomach, saying, "Take it or don't, but I'm going." 

Lena took the helmet, but quickly grabbed Alex's arm before she could go anywhere, "No, you aren't." But before Alex could protest, Lena continued, "You're not going in blind, just--" she sighed, "just give me a second, I have an idea." 

Alex was going to protest; she was going to pull her arm free and storm out of the room, but when Lena Luthor said she had a plan, you listened, so that's what Alex did. Reluctantly nodding, Alex watched as Lena got a small flashlight and proceeded to look for an electrical outlet. "This one will work," Lena muttered to herself, prying it open. 

"What are you doing??" Alex asked intrigued as to what Lena could accomplish by meddling with an old outlet that probably hadn't worked in years. 

Opening the small backpack she was carrying, Lena grabbed her DEO tablet and a gadget that looked like a voltage tester to Alex, but she had never seen anything quite like it before; it was a pen with small, clip-on pincers on one end, and a mini-USB connector on the other. "I can kind of hack the building's electrical grid," Lena explained as she continued to work, plugging the gadget to her tablet and carefully clipping the pen to the outlet wires. "That'll give me a rough idea of the building's structure, and it'll tell me what room is using more electricity." 

Just as Lena finished explaining it, Alex watched a drawing of the building's electrical grid appear on the tablet's screen. "It's gotta be there!" She pointed enthusiastically to one room that was lighting up like a Christmas tree. 

Lena smiled up at Alex, "That'd be my guess too," she said, unplugging the gadget and putting it away. "Furthest room on the second floor. We won't know how many people we're gonna come across, but at least we know where we're going now." 

They cleared the first floor and silently made their way to the second one. "Whoever these people are, they have enough money to build and maintain a machine sophisticated and powerful enough to subdue Kara, but not enough to splurge on personnel?" Lena questioned only to be met by Alex's silence.  

The way the older agent kept her eyes trained ahead, shoulders tense, gun ready to shoot told her Alex didn't want to think about who was behind all this; Lena could see in the way Alex kept pushing forward that all she cared about was freeing her sister and punishing whoever appeared in front of her. 

When her former commanding officer raised her closed fist, Lena automatically stopped dead in her tracks. She kept her eyes and ears open, trying to find the source of whatever had given Alex pause.  

And then she heard it. 

Muffled screams traveled through bare walls accompanied by mocking laughter. Even though the sounds were still somewhat far from them, Lena was a hundred percent sure the screams were coming from Kara, while the laughter was from a group of men.  _Whoever they are,_  Lena thought, watching  Alex's grip on her weapon get so tight, it began to shake. _Alex will make them regret ever being born._  

Signaling for Lena to follow her quietly, Alex led the way toward the voices. They entered a spacious apartment that, by the looks of it, had once been the home of a wealthy family; the walls were still decorated with now-worn tapestry, fancy chairs laid broken in the living room, and crystal shards glimmered on the floor where Lena could only presume a bar used to be. The closer they got to what they presumed was the master bedroom, the louder the voices were, but both agents could also hear the loud humming of high voltage circulating through top-of-the-line power cables – the only things that looked new in the entire apartment. 

Alex and Lena approached the master bedroom as quietly as they possibly could and crouched near the slightly ajar double-doors to peek inside. From opposite sides, Lena and Alex had different views of the room; from her side, Lena could see Kara restrained from her wrists and ankles, panting heavily as if she was preparing herself for the next blast of electricity. Alex, on the other hand, could only see a group of five men; all of them armed, but four were drinking beer in obvious celebration of their success, while the fifth had the controller of the machine holding Kara. Alex's brain zeroed in on that man; the pure joy that filled his eyes when he pressed the button making the  _Girl of Steel_  scream again made Alex's blood boil in her veins. Clenching her jaw at the sight, Alex took a deep breath to remind herself she was _close_  to delivering justice to those scumbags.  

Gesturing to catch Lena's attention, she reached into her bag and pulled out an Electrical Magnetic Pulse grenade. Lena knew the inner workings of that specific EMP grenade -- she had been the one who helped Winn revamp it, making it more effective while containing its effects to a smaller radius. Just by laying eyes on it, Lena could deduce Alex's real plan. The grenade would cause all electronic devices to short-circuit which meant that not only Kara would be freed from the torture device, but it would simultaneously turn off all the lights in the room, leaving the men in clear disadvantage against the two agents who were equipped with night vision goggles. 

Lena gave her a nod in understanding and, taking advantage of the fact Alex was focused on counting down to throw the grenade inside the room, Lena discreetly double-clicked the button on her watch – the same one she had pressed before leaving the DEO. After that, everything happened too fast; the grenade silently went off, and as soon as the building went dark, Alex and Lena stormed the room. Lena quickly incapacitated two men, and when she turned around to fight the next one, she saw Kara using sheer anger to keep herself awake and moving. The hero subdued the other two men and, knowing she was finally safe, the remains of Kara’s energy left her body making her collapse unconscious on the floor. "Alex!" Lena called out, rushing to Kara's side to cradle her best friend. "Alex!!!!" She called again, but the only answer she got was the sound of Alex's fist connecting to flesh and bones cracking on impact. 

Lena quickly laid Kara down again and ran towards Alex, tackling her off the man. "Get off me!!!!" Alex screamed, trying to wrestle Lena off. 

"No!!" Lena grunted, "You're going to kill him!" 

"That's what he deserves, remember????" Alex elbowed Lena hard on the ribs, momentarily regaining the upper hand. 

But Lena was just as relentless, and surprising Alex with a combination of moves, Lena managed to get her in an arm-lock. "Stop fighting me!" Lena begged, "I don't want to hurt you!!!" 

"I... t-trusted you, Luthor!!!!" Alex panted, trying her hardest to escape Lena's lock. "You betrayed me!!" Just as the words left her mouth, Alex saw a group of DEO agents bursting into the room with J'onn leading them. "You!!" Alex growled at Lena, "You  _warned_ them???" 

Alex was wriggling even more desperately now, and even though it pained Lena's heart to do so, she twisted Alex's arm harder to keep her in place until the DEO agents had taken all the men away. "Of course I did!!!" She fired back. 

"That’s enough!!!!!" J'onn voice seemed to echo in the now mostly empty room. He was holding Kara's still unconscious body tightly against his own as if the close proximity would soothe his soul after almost losing one of the girls he had come to think of as his own daughter. 

Even with all the anger coursing through her body, Alex didn't have it in her to keep fighting when J'onn was looking down at her with disappointment in his eyes. Sighing heavily, Alex double-tapped Lena, signaling that it was okay to let her go, and without saying a word to each other, Alex and Lena joined the other agents and headed back to the DEO.

“You know, she won’t be mad forever,” Winn said, catching Lena by surprise. She had been observing Alex examine and treat Kara, and somewhere along the line, Lena had gotten too lost in her own thoughts to hear him approaching her. “She does that from time to time,” Winn continued, leaning against the same wall Lena was leaning on; his eyes locked on Alex and Kara just as Lena was doing. “Something will happen between them, or something will happen _to_ Kara, and Alex sorta goes off the rails for a bit. She’s too stubborn and proud to let any of us help her, but… it’s Alex, you know? She always goes back to being the girl we love.”

Each word Winn spoke made Lena’s heart feel a little heavier, but at that very moment, she didn’t know what she could do to help Alex or make any of it better. Sighing, she smiled softly at Winn, saying, "It's been a long day, I guess I'm going to head home, but call me if anything happens to Kara, yeah?" When he nodded at her, Lena gave him a kiss on the cheek and left.

It wasn't until hours later when Kara had briefly woken up in her sun bed and told her sister to go get some rest herself that Alex left the DEO. Her head was still reeling from the night's events, her judgment still impaired; she blamed Lena for getting her in trouble with J'onn – somehow, in her mind, Alex thought that if Lena hadn't warned him, she would have been able to deliver justice to the scum who took Kara, and everything would be okay. 

Before she knew it, Alex was ringing Lena's doorbell.  

"Alex," Lena greeted slightly confused; head still foggy from been awaken so suddenly by the incessant buzzing. "Did something happen to Kar--" 

"You had  _no_  right!" Alex exclaimed, interrupting Lena. "You had no right to stop me from getting justice for my sister!" 

"Justice??" Lena scoffed. "You call that justice??" 

"It would have been if you had let me go through with it!!!!" Alex fired back, getting on Lena's face. 

All the tension and anger Lena had seen earlier in the evening were still visible in Alex's wild eyes. Lena had to assess the situation quickly so she would know how to best defuse the situation. Squaring her shoulders and clenching her jaw, Lena spoke deliberately slow to drive each word home, "Watch your tone, I am not your punching bag." 

Lena seemed to have a knack for doing and saying things Alex never saw coming. Her answer, just like her actions during their mission, surprised Alex leaving her with her mouth open as her brain tried to figure out how to proceed from there. As angry as she was, Alex would never cross the line and start physically fighting Lena, and after being verbally shut down, she had two options: either leave or actually voice her feelings in a non-aggressive manner.  

The indecision, and consequently the lack of action, started draining Alex's energy making her deflate. "Do you have any whiskey in this house?" She finally said; ego too bruised to apologize right away. 

Shaking her head slightly, Lena replied softly, "Yeah. Go sit down; I'll get us a bottle." When she came back into the living room, Lena found Alex sitting on the couch observing her own bruised knuckles. Lena sat next to her, and without saying a word, she poured them a double-shot and handed Alex a glass. 

"I'm sorry..." Alex muttered, nursing the drink in her hands. 

"What for?" 

Alex chuckled and shook her head,  _Of course, Lena Luthor will not accept a simple apology_ , she thought. Downing her whiskey first, Alex replied without meeting Lena's eyes, "I'm sorry for being rude to you just now... I'm angry, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you..." 

Lena was quiet for a second, taking in Alex's apology and observing as she poured herself another double-shot while Lena hadn't even taken a sip of hers. "Why are you angry?" She asked. 

Alex scoffed at the question, "C'mon, Lena," she said, finally looking at Lena. "You're not a shrink; you don't have to try and keep digging into my feelings." 

"If all you wanted to do was drink and fight," Lena said calmly, "you would have gone to a bar, but you came to me instead." Looking into Alex's eyes, Lena added, "So talk." 

_Is that why I'm here?_  Alex asked herself,  _Is this what I want, to talk??_  Getting up, she started pacing back and forth, holding her drink with one hand while nervously combing her fingers through her hair with the other one. "I'm angry because you stopped me!" Alex said in a burst, surprising herself. 

"Are you really angry at me because of that?" Lena asked, observing her closely; the way Alex scrunched up her brows and could barely hold Lena’s gaze, screamed something completely different from anger, and Lena knew that, but she would give Alex time and space to arrive at that conclusion herself. 

"Yes!!" Alex insisted, "The world would be a better place without evil people like those men in it!" 

"That's what prisons are for, Danvers," Lena deadpanned. "Besides, if you had killed them, we wouldn't be able to interrogate them to find out where they got the money to finance an operation like that; we wouldn't be able to find out who built that machine for them... I know you know killing them wasn't the smart option, I know you were suspicious when I agreed to go with you after you told me you intended to torture the culprits, and yet, you agreed to let me come with you." Taking a sip of her whiskey, Lena continued, "I think you  _wanted_  me to stop you, so I'll ask you again," she said, looking deeply into Alex's eyes, "why are you angry?" 

Lena's words were making Alex's head spin, and before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "Because I hate that this is how I react when I'm afraid!!" 

They fell silent for a long stretch of time, both seemingly petrified in their own places until Lena got up, and without saying a word, pulled Alex into a tight embrace. 

Alex didn't realize until then how desperately she had needed a hug that entire day, and that simple realization made her break out in tears. "It's okay," Lena cooed, gently rubbing small circles on Alex's back. "I was scared of losing her too..." 

The words made Alex cry harder; she was crying because she had been afraid, she was crying because she had almost lost her sister, she was crying because she had let her anger take over her mind again, she was crying because someone was finally acknowledging her pain. 

When Lena felt Alex grip the back of her robe tightly, she whispered softly, "And I was scared of losing you too... That blind anger--" Lena chocked up a little, but continued bravely speaking her feelings, "I've seen it before... I know what's capable of doing to someone, and I... I already lost someone I love to it, I won't let it happen again..." 

Lena's words tugged at Alex's heart. The intentional or unintentional parallel Lena had just drawn between the fear and sorrow she felt watching her brother slip through her fingers and the fear Lena must have felt for Alex that night made Alex realize for the first time just how much she mattered to Lena. She realized that she had one more person that truly cared about her wellbeing. “I-I’m sorry,” Alex managed to say through the knot in her throat as she cried harder, “and… th-thank you, Lena. Thank you for everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please, leave a comment, even if it's a smiley face. I promise it'll make my day.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please, leave a comment, even if it's a smiley face. I promise it'll make my day.


End file.
